[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 33 (Tuesday, February 27, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2281-S2282]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SPECTER (for himself and Mr. Casey):
  S. 697. A bill to establish the Steel Industry National Historic Site 
in the State of Pennsylvania; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to introduce 
legislation along with my colleague from Pennsylvania, Senator Casey, 
that will honor the importance of the steel industry in the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Nation by creating the ``Steel 
Industry National Historic Site'' to be operated by the National Park 
Service in southwestern Pennsylvania.
  The importance of the steel industry to the development of the United 
States cannot be overstated. A national historic site devoted to the 
history of the steel industry will afford all Americans the opportunity 
to celebrate this rich heritage, which is symbolic of the work ethic 
endemic to this great nation. The National Park Service has reported 
that Congress should make remnants of the U.S. Steel Homestead Works an 
affiliate of the national park system, rather than a full national 
park, an option which had been considered in years prior, and which I 
proposed in the 107th Congress. Due to the backlog of maintenance 
projects at national parks, the legislation offered today instead 
creates a national historic site that would be affiliated with the 
National Park Service. There is no better place for such a site than in 
southwestern Pennsylvania, which played a significant role in early 
industrial America and continues today.
  I have long supported efforts to preserve and enhance the historical 
steel-related heritage through the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area, which 
includes the city of Pittsburgh, and seven southwestern Pennsylvania 
counties: Allegheny; Armstrong, Fayette, Greene, Washington and 
Westmoreland. I have sought and been very pleased with congressional 
support for the important work within the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area 
expressed through appropriations levels of roughly $1 million annually 
since fiscal year 1998. I am hopeful that this support will continue. 
However, more than just resources are necessary to ensure the 
historical recognition needed for this important heritage. That is why 
I am introducing this legislation today.
  It is important to note why Pennsylvania should be the home of the 
national site that my legislation authorizes. The combination of a 
strong workforce, valuable natural resources, and Pennsylvania's 
strategic location in the heavily populated northeastern United States 
allowed the steel industry to thrive. Today, the remaining buildings 
and sites devoted to steel production are threatened with further 
deterioration. Many of these sites are nationally significant and 
perfectly suited for the study and interpretation of this crucial 
period in our Nation's development. Some of these sites include the 
Carrie Furnace Complex, the Hot Metal Bridge, and the United States 
Steel Homestead Works, which would all become a part of the Steel 
Industry National Historic Site under my legislation. As testimony of 
the area's historic significance, on September 20, 2006, the Carrie 
Furnaces were designated as a National Historic Landmark by the 
Secretary of the Interior.
  Highlights of such a national historic site would commemorate a wide 
range of accomplishments and topics for historical preservation and 
interpretation from industrial process advancements to labor-management 
relations. It is important to note that the site I seek to become a 
national site under this bill includes the location of the Battle of 
the Homestead, waged in 1892 between steelworkers and Pinkerton guards. 
The Battle of the Homestead marked a crucial period in our nation's 
workers' rights movement. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 
individuals, and public and private entities have attempted to protect 
and preserve resources such as the Homestead battleground the Hot Metal 
Bridge. For the benefit and inspiration of present and future 
generations, it is time for the Federal Government to join this effort 
to recognize their importance with the additional protection I provide 
in this bill.
  I would like to commend my colleague, Representative Doyle, who has 
been a longstanding leader in this preservation effort and who has 
consistently sponsored identical legislation in the U.S. House of 
Representatives. I look forward to working with southwestern 
Pennsylvania officials and Mr.

[[Page S2282]]

August Carlino, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Steel 
Industry Heritage Corporation, in order to bring this national historic 
site to fruition. We came very close to passing this bill in the 108th 
Congress with its passage in various forms in the House and the Senate. 
However, Congress adjourned prior to final passage of the same bill in 
both chambers during the 108th and l09th Congresses. Therefore, today 
we reintroduce this legislation and urge its swift passage.
                                 ______